The Frosted Cradle
by Sorrelwing
Summary: Elsa was born with cryokinetic powers. But just how and when were her powers discovered, and how did her parents react? I hope you all enjoy my first (and probably only) fanfiction on Frozen! It's rather short, I only plan for 5 or so chapters. NOTICE: this fanfiction is PAUSED until further notice. Sorry for any inconvenience, I'm planning on re-writing it when I have time.
1. The new princess

The colour of the foliage in the valley was a mixture of red, golden, orange and brown. The sky was liquid amber with a pink tinge on the horizon. The other side of the sky was a dark cobalt, which was gradually going to become star-studded and spread over the entire sky, darkening to black as the night cloaked the entire kingdom. The top of the crescent moon was just peering up over the mountains, white and glowing against the sky. There was a large fjord nestled in the base of the valley, leading out to the ocean. Sitting on this fjord, there was a large castle surrounded by a village; docks lead out from the village, leading to several ships.

Within the castle, a little miracle had just happened.

A bundle of cloth lay in a beautiful woman's arms, made of the softest silk. Within the bundle, a tiny hand reached out, touching the woman's neck, the furthest the bundle could reach from the arms that held it. This woman - named Charlotte - was no ordinary one, however. The woman was the queen of this kingdom, which was called Arendelle. And now, the child she had just given birth to was the new heir, the princess. Outside, the king and father of the new princess, Louis, was celebrating the arrival, raising a glass to his subjects in honour of his wife and new daughter. He had told the queen that she could name their daughter whatever she wanted. Queen Charlotte had the perfect name in mind for her child. She had always loved the name, since she was little.

"Elsa." She crooned. "Elsa - a beautiful name for my beautiful daughter." The newly named princess yawned, and opened her eyes, which were a cyan blue; electric around the pupil and more icy blue around the edges. Pale-skinned with rosebud pink lips, Elsa had a wisp of platinum blonde hair on her head. The rest of her hair would grow eventually. It would darken, or it would stay a similar shade when she got older. It was unlike Charlotte's hair, which was short and dark brown with a hint of black.

Charlotte was originally from the Mist Isles - islands that were very well-known for being shrouded in mist. It wasn't clear as to why the mist was almost always there, hanging over the ocean and the land. The near constant mist made ship navigation confusing, and many ships got lost for several days before finding the isles. Charlotte was used to cold weather almost all-year round, as the Mist Isles was quite far north compared to Arendelle. Charlotte had been one of four sisters, and had been third in line to the Mist Isles throne until she had met Louis. She and her family had been invited to Louis's father's coronation, so that the new king, named Eduard, could try to find a potential wife for his son. Eduard had introduced Louis to Charlotte and her three sisters, but it was clear that they had fallen for one another instantly. About a year had passed until Louis proposed, which charlotte had accepted. Eduard had been killed when his horse had accidently thrown him into a fast-flowing river, sending him to his death. A few days after Eduard's funeral, Louis and Charlotte had been crowned the king and queen of Arendelle, and now, three years later, they had their new daughter.

At that moment, a few snowflakes fell outside, until there was a gentle snowfall. Charlotte then felt something cold on her head, and when she reached up onto her hair, she felt something wet. Looking down at her hand, Charlotte's eyes flickered with surprise. A snowflake, half-melted from her warmth, lay on her skin. She looked up. Was there a hole in the roof? Charlotte couldn't see anything, but then how would a snowflake get in? The windows and doors were all shut.

Reminding herself to find someone to inspect the roof, Charlotte went to the cot that had been made for their new arrival, gently putting Elsa down into the silk cot. Elsa yawned again, batting her innocent blue eyes, before closing them and drifting off into sleep. Charlotte sat down on the bed, and lay back on the satin sheets, eyes closed with tiredness. The dull ache in her womb was fading. Her pregnancy had been unique - she had known that it was different from the start. Charlotte had been pregnant before, but she had suffered from a miscarriage after falling down the stairs. Tears pricked at her eyes as she remembered being told that she had lost the baby. This second pregnancy was different. Sometimes, Charlotte had felt occasional chills in her womb as Elsa grew and developed. She had quickly dismissed them, however, when her doctor had told her that it was probably nothing, as he had never heard of a womb getting sudden, brief chills. The chills had gone within seconds, so she had completely dismissed it.

Suddenly exhausted, Charlotte huddled the sheets to her, resting her head down onto a pillow. She didn't care whether her pregnancy had been different from that of other women. Elsa was absolutely fine - that was all that mattered. She was a perfectly normal and healthy child, and Charlotte and Louis loved her already. A few hours later, the village was alive with laughter. The residents of Arendelle raised their glasses joyously into the chilly air despite the few snowflakes falling, landing in their wine.

"To the King, Queen and new Princess!"


	2. The glass of water

A fierce wind blew, sending up snowflakes and beating against Charlotte, loosening the clip that held her hair in place and sending a few strands free. She was standing in front of an enormous building. Tall towers, elegant shapes; it was a palace, perched on the higher mountainside. She was standing up to her knees in thick snow, and she wrapped her arms around her slender figure as the cold seeped into her bones. Then she noticed that the palace was blue. Pale, blue-white, shining in the dim light; the palace was made of ice. Flawless, perfect ice, not a flake of snow on the long staircase or any of the towers. _This isn't real. _Charlotte began walking up the ice staircase that connected the palace to the rock Charlotte had been standing on. She was holding onto the banisters with an iron grip, walking slowly and carefully. She looked down, and nausea flowed over her. The drop below was enormous; there was snow down there, but what was beneath it? Sharp rocks, a freezing, ice-topped lake? She shivered at the thought, before continuing up the staircase. Charlotte emerged on the ice landing, where there was an enormous pair of ice doors. _Should I knock? _But as Charlotte raised a hand, the doors creaked open. The winds blew again, unsteadying her, and she stumbled inside, slamming the doors behind her. Charlotte turned, looking around. She was alone, but she felt like she was being watched.

"Hello?" she asked quietly, but she jumped at the echo. Slipping slightly as she went, Charlotte walked into the middle of the room. A large fountain stood in the middle of the room, alongside another staircase. The water coming out of the fountain was frozen. _That can't be possible, surely. _Quiet footsteps then sounded, and she noticed a figure standing at the top of the stairs. Charlotte was stunned by the sight of her. The woman was beautiful; electric blue eyes, black eyelashes, her hair a pale blonde, which had a braid that was pulled forward. On closer inspection, a few snowflakes seemed to be woven into the braid. Her lips were a rose-red, her skin pale yet flawless. She was dressed in a stunning pale blue gown, which appeared to be made of satin based by the sheen and look of it. Chiffon-like fabric trailed from her shoulders to the ground, which had sparkling snowflakes woven into it. There was something about the face and the eyes that seemed familiar. "Excuse me?" Charlotte asked, stepping forward. "Who are you?" the woman blinked, and didn't say a word. She stepped backwards, and at that moment, ice suddenly shot from the young woman's hands, toward her. Charlotte screamed, dived out of the way, but more and more blasts of ice aimed at her. As one shard hit her, Charlotte felt hands shaking her awake.

"Charlotte!" Louis stood above her, shaking her. "Wake up, you're having a bad dream, sweetheart." Charlotte sat up very suddenly, stiff. The fringe on her forehead was damp with sweat, and she pushed it back over her head, eyes closed. Louis looked fearful as he looked down at her. Charlotte was freezing cold, and she wrapped her arms around herself before speaking, looking up at her husband in bewilderment.

"What… what happened?"

"You were muttering at first, and then you was tossing and turning. And then you started screaming." Louis shivered, and wrapped his arms around her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes…" she stammered. "I'm absolutely fine. It just… seemed so real." She looked around. "Where's Elsa?" Louis indicated toward the cot, and he scooped out the crying Elsa, who had been woken from Charlotte's scream. He handed her to Charlotte, who hugged Elsa to herself. Elsa's cries faded, but then Charlotte felt the baby's tears. They were cold. Very cold, like the water out of any icy pond. Charlotte looked down at Elsa, brow creased with concern. A chill ran down her spine as she took in the cyan blue eyes and face shape. Elsa looked rather like the woman in her nightmare. "Louis… is it normal for tears to be cold?"

"What?" Louis's eyes lit up with surprise. "No, they're supposed to warm… but speaking of cold…" he looked at Elsa's cot nervously. "There… there was frost."

"_Frost?"_ Charlotte blinked, confused. "Outside? Weird change of subject, Louis."

"It's not a change of subject, Charlotte." Louis looked at her, with a serious expression, and then Charlotte looked at the cradle. The soft sheets looked stiff with a sparkle to it. "It wasn't… in her _cradle,_ was it?"

"It… it was. It was on the top of the cradle." Louis looked around. "It's been freezing today, but… I don't see how frost could get into her cradle. The windows and doors are shut, and there are no holes in the roof. I had someone check it when you said there was snow in your hair." The royal couple were silent for a moment, before Charlotte's throat suddenly felt dry.

"Can you pass me my water?"

"Of course." Louis turned to the side table, but then he stopped, dead in his tracks. "Charlotte."

"What?" she looked up. Louis reached toward the side table, blocking the glass of water from view, and then he turned. Charlotte gasped in shock. The water was completely frozen; solid ice. Even the condensation on the outside of the glass was frozen solid. Louis slowly put the glass down, taking a step back, a hand covering his mouth. Charlotte looked down at Elsa, who batted her cyan blue eyes. _You look like the woman in the dream. _Charlotte closed her eyes. Was the ice... something to do with Elsa? _Impossible... she's a baby. What am I thinking? Like a baby has magic powers. You're being ridiculous._


	3. Don't let them see

The toddler tottered along, toward her mother. Charlotte's welcoming arms were outstretched, and she was smiling widely, blue eyes warm with love, her gentle voice encouraging her. Elsa's legs felt weak, but she was determined not to fall over. Elsa kept walking, but just before she reached Charlotte's arms, her knees gave out. Charlotte caught her, scooping her up and cuddling her close. The door opened, and Louis entered the room. Charlotte handed Elsa to him, and Elsa' little arms waved and she giggled happily as Louis tossed her up and down slightly, quickly catching her before handing her back to her mother. They had all forgotten about the peculiar set of events that had happened a few months ago. They had forgotten about to the frost in the cradle, the frozen glass of water, as Elsa had begun walking for the first time, burying it in their minds. They had even forgotten about the freak snowstorm a few days before, when Elsa had thrown a tantrum and a blizzard had appeared very suddenly despite the fact that the sky had been blue not moments before. Elsa then began crying very suddenly. Outside, a few snowflakes began falling, but as Charlotte handed over her milk bottle, the snowflakes ceased.

"Funny, isn't it?" commented Louis, frowning outside. Charlotte turned to him with questioning eyes as Elsa drained half the milk bottle. "When she's upset, it begins snowing." He said before she could ask.

"Yes." Charlotte agreed, tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her left ear. "Funny indeed." She gazed at Elsa in the cradle, who smiled with her rosebud pink lips. "Not long before she begins talking, is it? I wonder what her first word will be." Charlotte mused, stroking Elsa's pale blonde hair. Louis nodded in reply, still looking outside. It was autumn by now, and Elsa was now ten months old, able to walk. The snow would start again soon, steadier. The blizzard a few days before had left a thin coating of snow, having lasted only a few minutes before fading. Soon the snow would coat the entire kingdom. The kingdom was preparing for the weather, as snowfall in Arendelle could be heavy and often extreme. Winter coats were being sewn and wood and matches were being sold more often. The fjord was being closed, as no ships could enter it when it was frozen over. Arendelle's allies and trading partners were being notified of the closure, including the Southern Isles and Weselton. Louis was now opening a letter from the Southern Isles.

"They've told us that they understand about the fjord." He said. "They've had another son - the thirteenth one, called Hans."

"A thirteenth son?" Charlotte's eyes widened. "Another one? Goodness me, how do they manage? Poor boy; he'll never have the chance of becoming King of the Southern Isles."

"Indeed." Louis said, folding the letter and sticking it in the cabinet. Charlotte then felt something cold on her hand. She looked down, and gasped. A snowflake was melting on her hand.

"Louis!" she gasped. Louis spun round, and she extended her hand, showing it. "It's not even snowing outside!" Louis didn't reply. "Louis?" she asked. "What's the matter?" Louis didn't say a word. He instead pointed shakily at Elsa's cot. Charlotte turned, and then she froze. Snowflakes drifted upwards; not down, _upwards _- from the cradle. Slowly, they walked forward, looking into it. Elsa lay there, as innocent and happy-looking as ever - her hands stretched upwards towards the little wooden bird hung above her cot. But snowflakes were drifting from her hands, flying upwards into the air before drifting gently to the ground. The King and Queen did not say a word. They stared into the cot for several minutes, too shocked to speak as more snowflakes swirled into the air from Elsa's hands. Finally, Louis found words.

"Impossible." He whispered.

"She's a baby." Charlotte sank onto the bed. "She's a _baby."_ She said again. "It's not possible."

"Snow." Rasped Louis, taking a step back from the cot. "Charlotte… this is dangerous. If that tantrum caused that blizzard… she could be putting the entire kingdom at risk."

"What do we do?" Charlotte's hands covered her face, and she closed her eyes. "If she's just a baby, her temper will be unpredictable. One tantrum makes a blizzard."

"I tell you what we're going to do." Said Louis, looking at his wife with serious eyes. "We're going to keep her as happy as possible until she's old enough to understand and control it."

"Yes." Charlotte nodded slightly, unable to take her eyes off the cradle. At that moment, Elsa began crying loudly. They didn't move, but her cries became louder. Suddenly, the light outside dimmed as clouds cloaked the sky. Snowflakes began falling, thicker and faster as Elsa bawled louder and louder. Charlotte hesitated, not moving, but then Louis strode forward, picking up Elsa. Within seconds, she stopped crying, and the snow lessened to a little snowfall.

"She won't harm us." Said Louis, but he couldn't hide the fear in his voice. "She couldn't." Charlotte and Louis stared at each other as Louis rocked Elsa gently in his arms. Elsa gradually fell into a peaceful sleep, and snow - _weather _snow - began falling outside. Louis lay the toddler down into her cradle, and turned to Charlotte.

"No one can know." Charlotte said simply. "For her safety. No one will know anything about this. Arendelle will just be the victim of freak weather, not a child with the power to make ice and snow."


End file.
